Helen Keller

Hello, my name is Helen. When I was a tiny baby, I could see the bright, sunny sky and hear the little birds sing their happy songs. But then, I got very sick. When I got all better, the world around me went dark and quiet. I could not see anything, and I could not hear anything. It felt like I was in a room where the curtains were always closed and my ears were covered with big, fluffy pillows. Sometimes I felt very alone and I would get grumpy because I couldn't tell my mommy and daddy what I wanted or how I was feeling. It was very hard for me.

Then one day, a wonderful teacher came to help me. Her name was Anne Sullivan, and she was like my own special sunshine. She brought so much light into my world. She gave me a soft doll to hold, and then she took my other hand and started drawing little shapes on it with her finger. It felt like a fun, tickly game. Then, on a very special day, March 3rd, 1887, she took me outside to the water pump. As the cool water rushed over one of my hands, she spelled the letters W-A-T-E-R into my other hand. Suddenly, I understood. The tickles on my hand meant the cold, wet water. Everything had a name.

After that day, I wanted to learn every single word for everything in the world. Learning words was like finding a magic key that unlocked a big door. It let all the sunshine and music back into my life. I learned how to read special books with my fingers, and I even learned how to speak with my voice so others could hear me. I could finally share all my happy thoughts and feelings. I spent the rest of my life helping other people and showing them that they can do anything they dream of, too.